Older couples have many assets to consider during divorce

A study by some sociologists at Bowling Green University has found that the divorce rate for people over the age of 50 has doubled in the last 20 years. The trend has become so prominent that it has it’s own term: “gray divorce.” Arizona residents have likely heard about gray divorce and its stunning rise, but that is just the problem. Gray divorce is always put in a “stunning” or “unexpected” or “alarming” context, as if older people aren’t supposed to get divorced.

It’s as if the fact that older couples are getting divorced means that our wise elders have suddenly become corrupted by some unforeseen ideal. When, in fact, all that’s happening is that older couples are coming to the realization that many couples reach nowadays: their relationship with their spouse simply isn’t the way it once was, and it is beyond repair. Therefore, a divorce is necessary.

Marriages change and evolve over time. Sometimes, this is for the better. The couple grows closer or their relationship is strengthened by life events. Sometimes, this is to the couple’s detriment, and they realize they have reached a breaking point in their relationship. But every marriage will change over time, for good or bad, for better or worse.

If it turns out that you’ve reached the age of 55 or 60 and you and your spouse realize it’s time to get a divorce, there’s no shame in adding to the gray divorce phenomenon. As an older couple, your divorce may be a bit more complicated, given that you have accumulated a lifetime of assets. Consult a divorce attorney to make sure you are protected during this transitional period in your life.

Source: Inquisitr, “Old Age Divorce Records Have Baby Boomers Reworking Their Dating Game,” George Nielsen, May 15, 2014